The Royal Dance
by FanOfHan
Summary: Han and Leia decide it's time the galaxy knew about their relationship. Set after ROtJ.


"Oh, Gods, Wedge," muttered Jansen as he got to his feet. "Here we go."

We'd had half an evening of drinking and laughing. Now it was time for the Royal Dance. I stood too. All the men had to, by order, or whatever. See, all the guys gotta line up on the dance floor and then the Princess chooses someone to dance with. It's why we pick a piece of music when we come in. Hell, it's why we turn up at these things. 'Cause if Her Highness likes the dance then you get to be her escort for the rest of the night. No argument (as if there'd be any).

So we all lined up and waited. There was hardly room to breathe. And then she stood up.

She was wearing a dress that made your eyes pop out. It was long and tight and had a split right up the side. I never knew she hid a figure like that under standard alliance uniform but that red shimmersilk clung to it like nobody's business. It had straps, sure, decorated with tiny shimmersilk flowers, but the they were thin even so.

He hair was done up the way it had been after Yavin - tight bun on top of her head and then plaited and reaching halfway down her back. I'll never forget that outfit as long as I live!

And then the way she was looking at us! Staring at every man as she passed. And I'll bet you anything they were all starin' back! Big brown eyes with long black lashes and a smile that could kill. She damn near killed me anyway.

And so she walked up one line and down the next. I'd seen her do it so many times, but she seemed different. She was touching the men. Actually touching them! Boy, she's changed. Whenever she passed someone she liked the look of she'd stroke their cheek and make 'em look up. Or run her fingers along their shoulder, brush her hand over his chest. She'd always had to kiss a guy's cheek to show she'd chosen him, that was the rules, but tonight she looked like she could enjoy it, without blushing.

"Well would you look at that?"

Jansen's voice turned my head. And when I saw what he was drawing my attention to I almost fell over. Once I'd recovered enough to trust myself with staying upright, I decided I must be hallucinating.

"That's not!" I said.

"It is!" Jansen nodded.

"The general!" someone behind me concluded.

Luke, standing next to Jansen, was staring open mouthed.

"Keep it down," I muttered, noticing that my boys' outburst had turned a number of heads and that people surrounding us had now turned to see.

But I still stared. And I wasn't the only one. Conversation in the hall had decreased in volume by about half, and what there was was mainly 'look at that, I don't believe it.'

Because there, standing hip-hitched in the middle of one of the longest lines, a twelve-parsec-wide grin on his face and in _dress uniform_, no less, was General Han Solo.

"What's he doin' here?" I said. "He hates these things."

"Maybe he figured this one's special," said Luke.

"Yeah," I nodded. "Maybe."

And it was special. 'Victory Celebrations' had been all too rare for as long as I could remember. But now the Emperor was dead, tonight's celebrations were gonna be pretty damned special. But Solo never turned up, no matter what. Ever. _Period_.

_So what in hell was he doing standing there as though this was somethin' he did every night?_

I'd never seen him in those clothes before. Black boots, black suit, jacket closed right up to the collar, no blaster (poor guy must've felt naked) and for once his hair was done. He looked for all the world like…Well, like a General, not that I'd ever say it to his face.

"Some lucky lady's in for a treat!" Jansen laughed.

But we all knew who it _wouldn't_ be. I mean, the Princess'd _never _choose him, not in a million years. It wasn't that she didn't want to, that was clear enough, it's just that she'd choose someone important to be diplomatic, or she'd choose one of us to get Solo riled up.

And she kept going. She just walked right down the lines. We all laughed as she got close to Solo. She'd probably just ignore him or somethin'. Kick him in the shins.

And that's when it happened. She looked up at him and touched the side of his face. He looked as surprised as we felt. Then she ran her hand over his shoulder. Fair enough. Then she rested both her hands on _his hips _and looked up at him. Then she kissed him.

Not on his cheek, mind you, on the lips, and not quickly either. She just kept going. The ladies round the outside of the room gasped collectively in disappointment - it was actually quite funny. When she pulled away from him, he was wearing most of her lipstick and he just about managed to open his eyes. And then she stepped back and walked to the middle of the dance floor.

Well what choice did we have? She'd already made her choice so we had to sit down.

So he walked towards her and nodded towards the band and they started playing this 'tango' I guess is all you can call it. Some of the other couples got up and got into position, but even they were watching the Princess and the General.

He was so much taller than she was, but when he put her arms around her it kinda just looked right. And she took hold of him too. And then they started to move.

He was leading her, sure, but she knew exactly where she was supposed to go. He was so close to her. When had this happened?

He leant forward and held her as she let him tip her back.

She clawed at his back when he spun her round.

She lifted one leg and lodged it behind his hip as he leant down to her again. It was damned interesting to watch. But they were so close, moving so lithely, that it was almost like we shouldn't have been watching, you know? It almost felt like voyeurism. And they looked so good together, like two pieces of a puzzle; they just fit.

I don't know how long it went on for. I only know that there wasn't a sound. The other dancers had kind of just given up and just stood watching. And who could blame them?

The dance ended with her almost horizontal with only Solo to keep her up, him so close to her that they could almost be kissing. Then the music stopped. I guess somebody must've started clapping, because the rest of us joined in.

The stood up again and smiled. But they didn't let go.

"Hey, Solo!"

Jansen had yelled before I could do anything about it.

Solo grinned and they both walked towards us, arms around each other. I couldn't believe it. They even stopped to kiss halfway towards us!

"So what're you guys drinking?" he asked as he pulled out a chair _for her_. "Have one on me!"


End file.
